What is Gateway Woods Residential Child Care?

Our beautiful 50-acre park-like campus includes four family group homes with a capacity of 25 residents who are placed by public agencies and private families. Our Oak House serves troubled teen girls who are pregnant or young mothers. Houseparent families provide a model of spirituality, family interaction, diligence, structure, and nurturing. Resident's parents are engaged as "allies" and "teammates" in the treatment process aimed toward reunification or independence.

What does it mean to be "Family Focused"?

At Gateway Woods, we realize that the Houseparents' role is not to replace the parents' rightful position, but rather to act as temporary helpers and guides. One of our primary initiatives in treatment is to link with parents as allies in order to meet their needs as well as those of their child.

What type of child is appropriate for placement in the Residential Program?

Gateway Woods serves children from:

We treat children with problems such as:

We have a maximum capacity of 7 male and 18 female residents, and we accept referrals for children between the ages of 12-19.

What services does Gateway Woods provide for children in placement?

Gateway Woods tailors educational, recreational, and vocational activities to the needs and abilities of each child. Therapy includes individual, group and family counseling by Masters level therapists. Our goal is to help both children and parents in a balanced way that enables them to move past current barriers to create a positive, productive future.

Educational Gateway Woods offers an accredited on-grounds educational program, Gateway Woods School, to all residents and Day Treatment students. An after-school tutoring program is also available for all residents. After school tutoring by certified teachers occurs daily in a quiet, supervised place of study inside the house. Students' behavior and attitude toward homework and school is a reliable indicator of how they are progressing in their overall treatment. Daily assignment books are used along with weekly check-up sheets. E-mails or phone calls between teachers and houseparents keep everyone informed on students' progress.

During the summer, we offer classes for credit plus remedial reading and math to students whose grades show a need for extra help in these areas. Students age 16 and older take classes on independent living skills; we also offer a variety of enrichment classes such as drama and Spanish.

All residents attend Gateway Woods School until they earn the privilege of returning to public school.

Therapeutic Gateway Woods offers a wide range of therapeutic services. Each resident is assigned a counselor upon his/her arrival at Gateway Woods. Our trained and experienced masters level counselors work with residents, parents and placing agencies to develop an individualized treatment plan designed to address the unique needs of each child. The resident will also attend regular individual counseling, group counseling, and family counseling with their assigned counselor.

Vocational Residents receive a variety of vocational opportunities on our campus. Opportunities include animal chores, gardening, grounds keeping, and various on and off-grounds employment and volunteer positions. During the summer, many teens are employed in various settings in the community or on-campus. Our landscape crew, Top Quality provides skill and income opportunities for more responsible young people. Some continue their employment throughout the school year on a part-time basis. In addition, individual training in job-finding skills is provided.

Recreational Residents are involved when possible in recreational activities on-campus through the community and schools. These experiences provide interaction with peers and a variety of adult role models, as well as increased skills and self-confidence. On-campus recreation includes sports, canoeing, hiking, and camping. In the summer each house takes its own vacation. Occasional weekend trips in Indiana and around the Midwest are also part of residential life.

Spiritual In addition to prayers and Bible reading around the table and home, we believe that part of family life includes worshiping together. Children are involved in local church Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Bible studies, and youth group activities. Through these experiences they not only are introduced to faith in Christ but also learn the reason and the power behind our commitment to them and this work.

What are expectations for conduct for children in Residential Child Care?

Our group homes are highly structured settings with more rules and expectations than most families have. Often the young people who come to us have problems resulting from either unclear expectations or not cooperating with rules. We believe that each individual is responsible for his or her own thoughts, words, and actions, and we work hard with young people to understand and accept that responsibility. We also believe that clear expectations and rules based on unchanging biblical principles (for example: obeying parents, respecting other people and their belongings, telling the truth, and controlling anger) help young people become responsible for themselves and their futures. Once clear expectations and rules have been set, young people learn to grow by consistently being held accountable to those expectations. Parents are frequently consulted and involved in the goal setting and discipline process.

What is a typical daily routine?

Routines and daily schedules are vital to operating our homes. They help residents learn time management skills, which are essential for future life. Differences exist in the specific schedules from one house to another, but the order of events on a routine school day may be something like this: wake up, shower, dress for school, breakfast and morning devotion, dishes, straighten room, go to school. After returning from school; : homework, recreation, a dinner and devotion, dishes, evening activities (homework, chores, free time, etc.), quiet time, lights out.

How long is a child in placement in Residential Child Care?

Reuniting families is our primary goal. Typically the problems that lead to placement are long standing, and it takes time to make lasting changes that will result in reunification. We work closely with the placing agency and family to determine a treatment plan and a schedule for reunification. Young people placed by public agencies typically have a set of standards that must be satisfied prior to discharge. We work with the family to monitor progress and set goals. This time frame can be as short as nine months or as long as two years.